From the Preface: “The veil of diplomacy screens many secrets—most of them for many years. But the veil is not impenetrable; from time to time a corner lifts, disclosing a fact long-suspected but never quite comprehended, a fact that fits into a history hitherto incomplete. So of this tale!” Relations between Germany and Japan vs. the United States are strained, and war is possible. A smoldering romance and tense international intrigue involve even the highest level of the U. S. government in this absorbing novel.